The Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors hereby give notice that the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 7, has been cancelled and re-scheduled to Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. The hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7 will still take place at 6:30 p.m. Both the hearing and the re-scheduled meeting will take place at the township building, 10 Ring Road, Chadds Ford. The public is invited to attend.
After months of effort to implement a plan to alleviate family homelessness, Family Promise of Southern Chester County (FPSCC) is inviting its volunteers and the public to an open house at its newly refurbished Resource Center.
Family Promise of Southern Chester County is hosting an open house on Oct. 22 at its new Resource Center in West Grove.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m., attendees will have an opportunity to tour the center, which is located at 105 W. Evergreen St., in West Grove. The Family Promise board and staff will be on hand to answer questions and celebrate the work of hundreds of volunteers from churches, service clubs and businesses who have renovated the Family Promise Resource Center in recent months, a FPSCC press release said.
“I am very excited to celebrate the opening of our Resource Center,” Susan Minarchi, FPSCC’s executive director, said in the release. “We are grateful to Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Church in West Grove for providing this space, which is ideally suited to achieving our mission … I hope residents, volunteers and church members throughout southern Chester County will join us to celebrate our new facilities and see what we’re all about.”
Family Promise of Southern Chester County is committed to helping children and their families who are experiencing homelessness in the Oxford, Avon Grove, Kennett Consolidated, and Unionville-Chadds Ford School Districts.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education reported that 494 school-age children in southern Chester County were impacted by homelessness during the 2013-2014 school year. A sharp increase from the previous year, coupled with the lack of available shelters in southern Chester County, prompted the formation of an area Task Force on Homelessness to address this critical problem.
The Task Force, which included community leaders, agencies and churches, determined the Family Promise model used by 189 affiliates around the country provided an ideal solution to alleviating family homelessness in our area. Family Promise of Southern Chester County is part of a national, nonprofit initiative founded in 1986 that currently has operations in 43 states. There are 13 affiliates located throughout Pennsylvania with three more in the process of opening.
The mission of the Family Promise program is to help children and their families achieve lasting self-sufficiency and stability by providing meals and shelter through a network of volunteers at church congregations until sustainable housing is found. The families will stay at a host church facility for dinner, fellowship and overnight sleeping accommodations.
After being served a morning breakfast, families will then travel back to the Family Promise Resource Center where they will work with a case manager to find employment, affordable housing, and other needed social services. School children will be picked up at the Resource Center by their schools so that they are able to maintain educational continuity.
The program will accept four families or 14 people at any one time. There are currently 11 host congregations and 13 support congregations committed to participating in the Family Promise program in southern Chester County.
The goal is to have a full network of 13 host congregations so each congregation will host only four weeks per year, once every calendar quarter. The host congregations will be supported by support congregations, which do not have large enough facilities to accommodate families.
“Many generous people have worked long and hard for this moment by making donations of time, effort, money, and in-kind materials and services,” Dave Haradon, president of FPSCC’s board of directors, said in the release. “Opening and sharing the Resource Center is an important milestone toward achieving our mission to alleviate homelessness in southern Chester County.”
To volunteer, make a donation, or provide services, contact Family Promise of Southern Chester County by calling 610-345-1100 or by emailing susan.minarchi@gmail.com.
The journey that the owners of a Washington, D.C. travel agency took to open another office benefitted from a series of serendipitous encounters that landed them in Kennett Square.
Cathy Hagle (left) addresses the crowd at the grand opening of Connoisseur Travel in Kennett Square, as her husband, George Hagle, who co-founded the business with her, looks on.
On Friday, Oct. 2, George and Cathy Hagle, who founded Connoisseur Travel 27 years ago, opened their second office in the building at 312 W. State St. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by dozens of local leaders, politicians, vendors, and employees, the couple expressed enthusiasm about their new location.
They received numerous welcomes, including remarks from Cheryl Kuhn, executive director of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce; Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell; Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square; and Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick.
“You couldn’t have picked a better place,” said Fetick. “So many of our business owners give back to the community … It’s such a privilege to represent these folks.”
George Hagle said that Kennett Square didn’t appear on their radar until they realized that a couple of the people they wanted to hire lived in the area. One connection begat another in the Kennett area, and suddenly they found themselves getting ready for the opening.
He said Connoisseur needed to expand because otherwise the company would have had to turn away customers, which wasn’t in anyone’s best interest. He said the business has prospered by offering “specialized, personal attention” that requires a high level of professional employees. He said he’s looking forward to expanding the Kennett Square staff.
Cathy Hagle said that the surge in do-it-yourself travel arrangements has actually boosted their business. The average person typically doesn’t have years of expertise to ensure that a trip becomes a smooth and special experience, she said.
“When you’re stranded at the airport on the tarmac, who are you going to call?” she asked. “If you booked the trip with us, we’re going to be on the phone helping to make sure your vacation isn’t ruined.”
A spine-tingling, spooktacular time awaits those who attend the Sixth Annual Fright Feast on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Sponsored by the Kennett Square Lions Club’s Morning Branch, this monstrously fun fundraiser benefits the adult literacy program of the Kennett Public Library; Camp Dreamcatcher, which provides therapeutic and educational services for children impacted by HIV/AIDS; and other Lions Club charities. It will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Northbrook Marketplace.
The Halloween-themed event will feature food, wine and beer, musical entertainment, costume competitions with prizes, tarot card readings, and a silent auction. In addition, raffle tickets will be available to purchase the contents of a casket – occupied by drinkable spirits – or a cauldron of cold ones, specifically a selection of specialty beers.
Admission, which is limited to 100 people, is $50 per person. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here or by contacting Maureen Snook at 484-730-8423, Patty Hillkirk at 610-716-0476 or Debra Swayne at 610-388-7270.
Northbrook Marketplace is located at 1805 Unionville-Wawaset Road, West Chester, in Pocopson Township.
